Reinforcement for concrete coverings.



A. B. TAPPENQ REINFORCEMENT FOR CONCRETE COVERINGS.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 61 IBM.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IIIIIIII IIIII l A TTOR/VE V A. B. TAPPENQ REINFORCEMENT FOR CONCRETECOVERINGS. APPLI-CATION FILED MAR. 6. 1914.

Patented Feb. 5, 191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTOR/VEV I stays to buckle or bend toward the surface ALEXANDER 1B.TAPPEN, 0F OSSINING, NEW YORK.

REINFORCEMENT FOR CONCRETE COVERINGS.

Application filed March 6, 1914. Serial No. 822,846.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BHTAP- PEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Ossining, West'chester county, and State ofNew York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inReinforcements for Concrete Coverings, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in expansible reinforcements forconcrete and the like of the type which has been invented by David HomerHayden and for which he has made-application for Letters Patent, and itsobject is to improve upon reinforcements of this kind which are compactas an article of manufacture and easily packed and transported and whichare adapted to be expanded into engaging relation with the flange of asteel member.

The reinforcement of the type to which this invention applies comprisesa series of cross-stays or members which are so connected that thereinforcement is capable of being expanded longitudinally of the beam orstructural member towhich it is applied, and of being contractedlaterally thereof, the cross-stays or members being bent atpredetermined intervals to form hook por- ,tions which engage theopposite edges of the flange. of the structural member when thereinforcement is'thus laterally contracted. The extent of longitudinalexpansion and lateral contraction are both limited by the width of theflange to which the reinforcement is applied.

The projections which hook over the edges of the flange are so arrangedas to space the cross-stays from the adjacent surface of the flange inorder to leave a body of cement between them and the flange. It has beenfound however, that when such reinforcement is applied to I-beams withwide flanges, the outward pressures exerted by the edges of the flangeupon the portions which hook over the flanges, cause-the crossof theflange so that the required distance between the flange andthecross-stays 15 not maintained. But with reinforcement rigid to preventblows on one side bending the parts so as to lessen the hold of theexpansion on the opposite side of the beam. I have devised a simplewayof overcoming this difficulty and at the same time making theexpansion capable of supporting greater weights.

These and other advantages of my invention will appear in the followingspecification in which I will describe the invention, the novel featuresof which will be set forth in appended claims.

In order that this invention may be understood, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings of which Figure 1 is a transverse sectionalelevation of the'lower part of a beam of structural iron, below which isshown a reinforcement in its folded or contracted state, or in thecondition in which it is manufactured and shipped.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view of'the I- beam with the reinforcementexpanded and applied to its lower flange, together with a body of.concrete or cement which surrounds the beam and-which is supportedthereon by the reinforcement and one of the mold boards under the bodyof concrete.

A bottom lan view of an I-beam is shown in Fig. 3 w1th someof myimproved reinforcement. Some of this reinforcement is shown in.contracted form and some of it expanded into engagement with the flange.This view clearly illustrates the lateral contraction of thereinforcement which occurs when it is expanded longitudinally.

Fig. 4 is an isometric perspective of a portion of the expandedreinforcement shown in the other figures.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I have-shown three modifications of a detail ofconstruction.

Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively an elevation and a plan view of a portionof the device made in a somewhat difi'erent manner.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a still further modification of theinvention.

Iiike characters of reference designate corresponding partsin all thefigures.

10 designates the cross-stays which may be made of wire which arealternately connected with one another at spaced intervals in somesuitable manner, preferably by being welded to connecting pieces 11. Bywelding the connecting pieces 11 to the wire cross-stays, thecross-stays are annealed and softened adjacent to the weld andconsequently when the reinforcement is expanded.

the bends in the wire come at the point of connection and the portion ofthe crossstays between the points of connection are straight.

Another advantage in this arrangement arises from the fact that it isonly necessary to exert a pull at opposite ends of the reinforcement inorder to expand it uniformly.

Outside of each connecting piece the end of one of the wires is bentupwardly as at 12 to form a stop projection. The other end of this samewire extends beyond an opposite connecting piece asat 13, at the end ofwhich projection it is bent upwardly as at 14:, then inwardly to formthe supporting hook 15, then up, out and down to the point 16. From thispoint 16 it runs down to the connecting piece 11 to which it is attachedand thence it xtends downwardly to form another stop projection 17 Theportion 18 between the point 16 and the connecting piece 11 then forms abrace or support.

In Figs. 1-5 this brace is shown as fastened to the connecting piece 11by welding, which is the usual construction, but in Fig. 6 its end isshown as wound around the connecting piece.

- In Fig. 7 it is wound around the connecting piece 11 but its endextends upwardly as at 17 When this form of construction 1s used, thestop projections 12 of course may be bent downwardly instead of upwardlyso as to have a stop projection above and below each connecting piece.

Before describing the modification shown in the remaining figures of thedrawings, I will point out the operation and advantages of this device.

WVhen the reinforcement is applied to the flange of an I-beam by beingpulled out longitudinally, the outward lateral pressures have a tendencyto make the parts thereof which are spaced from and substantiallyparallel with the outer surface of the flange,

bend or buckle inwardly toward the flange so that the desired amountofspace between the flange and the reinforcement is diminished. Theupwardly extending stop projections 12 (or 17) prevent such buckling toany undesirable extent by coming in contact with the flange.

Anotheradvantage is that the brace 18 makes the reinforcement capable ofsustaining greater weights. Furthermore as the braces are aflixed to theconnecting pieces 11, it makes the structure more rigid and prevents anyinward lateral pressure upon the part 14 forcing the hooks 15 ofl fromthe opposite edge of the flange.

The stop projections 17 may be used as spacers to hold the mold board 19at the desired distance from the beam.

Further rigidity may be given to the device by making an additionaltwist 20 in the wire between the parts 13 and 14 and as shown in Figs. 8and 9 these twisted portions may extend laterally beyond the rest of thereinforcement so that they may be used as spacers for the side moldboards.

In Fig. 10 another way of stiffening and strengthening the reinforcementis shown. In this case the parts 10, 13, 14, 15 and 18 are bent asbefore and similarly afiixed to the connecting pieces 11, and the end 17bent downwardly as at 17 or upwardly as at 17'. But instead of the otherend of the wire terminating in a short-stop projection 12 as in Fig. 4,it is extended upwardly as at 21 in a. direction parallel with the brace18 to form another brace and then up and over as at 2223 to form anotherhook for engaging the flange of an I-beam.

It is obvious that the reinforcing material shown and described may bemade in different forms and of various materials, and I intend nolimitations other than those of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A concrete reinforcement comprising a plurality of transverse wiresbent to form portions adapted tohook over the edges of a flange andalternately disposed connections between adjacent wires alternating inrespect of the longitudinal center of the reinforcement, each of saidwires forming a. brace from the flange to an adjacent connection andbeing secured thereto.

7 2. A concrete reinforcement comprising a plurality of transverse wiresbent to form portions adapted to hook over the edges of a flange andalternately disposed, and connections between adjacent wires alternatingin respect of the longitudinal center of the reinforcement, the end ofthe wires being continued from the hook portions around the flange toadjacent connections and being secured thereto.

3. A concrete reinforcement comprising a plurality of transverse wiresbent to form portions adapted to hook over the edges of a flange andalternately disposed. and connections between adjacent wires alternatingin respect of the longitudinal center of the reinforcement, the end ofthe wires extend- 1 ing from the hook portions to adjacent connectionsand extending beyond the connection to form stop pro ections.

t. A concrete reinforcement comprising a plurality of transverse wires,hooks formed of bends 1n said wires adapted to hook over the edges of aflange. and stop projections formed by the ends of said wires. saidwires being alternately disposed; welded connections between adjacentwires alternating in respect of the longitudinal center of thereinforcement, nd braces formed of portions oftheowires intermediate thehooks and adjacent connections secured to said connections.

5. A concrete reinforcement comprising meaaea plurality of transversewires bent to form portions adapted to hook over the edges of aflangeand alternately disposed, and to form stop projections at eachconnection, connections between adjacent wires alternating in respect ofthe longitudinal center of the reinforcement, and a brace from the hookportion of the wire to an adjacent connection and extending beyond theconnections to form other stop projections,

6. A concrete reinforcement comprising a plurality of transverse wiresbent to form portions adapted to hook over the edges of a flange andalternately disposed, and to form stop projections at each connection,

connections between adjacent wires alternating in respect of thelongitudinal center of the reinforcement, and a brace from the hookportion of the wire to an adjacent conmotion and extending beyond theconnections to form other stop projections; and twisted portionsextendinglaterally beyond the hook portions.

In witness whereof have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing wltnesses, this 5 day of March 1914.

ALEXANDER B. TAPPEN.

Witnesses:

F. GRAVES, E. W. MARSHALL.

